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06/18/2006 - The Kavli Foundation Establishes Two New Scientific Institutes in China

June 18, 2006

In an effort to advance research in theoretical physics and astrophysics, The Kavli Foundation will fund two new scientific institutes in China, it announced here today. The Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University and the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics China at the Chinese Academy of Sciences will join a network of ten existing Kavli Institutes around the world dedicated to furthering scientific knowledge in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience.

“Through the ages, China has contributed immensely to science and technology,” said industrialist Fred Kavli, founder of The Kavli Foundation. “We are pleased to recognize the dedicated pursuit of excellence in China’s fast growing research enterprise today and participate in its future potential. I am confident that these two institutes will make important contributions to science.”

The Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University will carry out fundamental research on the origin and evolution of astrophysical structures, from planetary systems to the universe as a whole. It will serve as a center of excellence within China and the Pacific Rim region, acting as a role model for promoting basic scientific research in China at the highest international standards, and as a bridge between the scientific communities of the emerging world and those of the developed countries.

The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics China at the Chinese Academy of Sciences will have important national and international roles. Nationally, it will coordinate basic research on theoretical physics in China and facilitate interaction between theory and experiment, as well as promote research in interdisciplinary areas among physics and other branches of science. Internationally, it will host international conferences, workshops, summer schools, guest scientist and visitor programs, which will promote the interaction of Chinese scientists with their counterparts in other countries.

“We are extremely pleased to launch these two new institutes as part of the expanding worldwide network of Kavli Research Institutes,” said David Auston, president of The Kavli Foundation. “As new centers of excellence in China’s growing research enterprise, each will contribute in important ways to developments in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics and theoretical physics, both in China and worldwide through their linkages with other Kavli Institutes.”